The present invention relates to washer system and method in which the washer nozzle aim angle is adjustable.
One of the challenges experienced by all washer nozzle manufactures is delivering the fluid to the correct (vertical) position on the surface to be cleaned. Many things besides the pre-aiming of the nozzle at the manufacturing site can contribute to variation: movement of internal components by handling, installation and misuse/abuse in field. Poor (vertical) delivery of the fluid is also caused by a variation due to manufacturing tolerances in angle and location of the mounting surface and target surface.
Specifying very tight tolerances and tuning of tooling during vehicle launch generally handle this for most types of nozzle. Both of these approaches are expensive, and tuning during launch is extremely disruptive from an inventory and manufacturing management perspective.
A common approach utilizes an expensive ball B and socket S design (FIG. 1) that can be adjusted and readjusted without waste of components or assembly. The major drawback is that fluidics are not easily incorporated because of size limitations and the nozzle can end up misaimed due to unintentional movement of the ball or through improper aiming at the manufacturing site or in the field, resulting in a condition where the washer-wiper system may fail to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) requirements.
Other design attempts have been made to create a housing that can be adjusted or aimed by camming action (FIG. 2). However, this is also expensive and even more susceptible to misaiming at installation, in the field, and/or by normal impacts and vibration during use.
The most robust method currently in use is to have a fixed aim in the nozzle body housing H and insert I (see FIG. 3). Adjustments to aim are made through tooling changes to housing H and/or insert I. While this insures meeting FMVSS by preventing misaiming and movement in the field, it is an expensive and time-consuming process, especially at vehicle launch, to be modifying or building new injection-molding tooling.
Fluidic oscillators have been used for numerous fluid distribution/dispersion applications, including windshield washer and rear window washers on automobiles, and headlamps, and mops. Typically such nozzles have been constructed of two pieces, one flat piece containing the fluidic circuitry and the other piece with a flat slot, accommodating the insert, providing the sealing and primary aim. Sometimes nozzles also incorporate a pad for mounting surface seal and/or a check valve.
The Present Invention
At times there is a need to provide some adjustment to the aim angle of the spray after components are designed and tooled. The object of the present invention is to provide such a washer system and method of manufacturing nozzles capable of aim adjustment. The invention comprises a curved fluidic device and a housing piece with a curved slot to accommodate the curved fluid device. The aim can be varied greatly by changing the depth of insertion of the fluidic device into the curved slot. By adjusting the curvature of the fluidic device and slot, the amount of variation possible and sensitivity to insertion depth can be controlled. With more curvature, the aim can be adjusted more but is more sensitive to insertion depth tolerance. With less curvature, the insertion depth is more robust but the aim adjustment range is smaller.
Thus, the invention provides a washer system in which a washer nozzle housing has a slot for receiving a nozzle insert for projecting a jet of wash fluid upon a surface from a relatively fixed position, wherein the housing slot is longer than the nozzle insert and is curved and the fluidic insert is correspondingly curved, whereby the depth of insertion of the nozzle insert into the housing slot can be varied to vary the angle of impingement of the wash fluid on said surface. In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle insert is a fluid nozzle insert. In another preferred embodiment, the fluidic insert is a fluidic oscillator in which the jet of wash fluid is swept in a given fan angle.
The invention also encompasses the method of adjusting the aim angle of a washer system in which a washer nozzle housing has a slot for receiving a nozzle insert for projecting a jet of wash fluid upon a surface from a relatively fixed position, comprising forming the housing slot in a curved configuration that is longer than the nozzle insert and correspondingly curving the fluidic inserts, whereby the depth of insertion of the nozzle insert into the housing slot is variable to vary the aim angle and point of impingement of the wash fluid on a surface. As noted earlier, by adjusting the slot curvature, the amount of variation and sensitivity to insertion depth can be controlled.
Invention Advantages
Allows for aim adjustment after the components are tooled without additional cost.
Allows for one design to be utilized for many applications providing commonality and economy of scale.
Prevents adjustment or movement in the field while retaining flexibility at manufacturing site to adjust aim.
Provides pre-aim that is more robust against manufacturing variation, thermal effects, vibration and impact during use than typical round ball and round socket because of curved versus round geometry. Round interface has uniform stress across entire engagement surface and is therefore easily moved. Curved interface with limited engagement length has high stress interference areas at leading and trailing edge of circuit preventing movement.